


Never a frown

by Lululablette



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Afterlife, Angst, Canonical Character Death, Death, Gen, Light Angst, Soul Stone (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 12:45:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18717358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lululablette/pseuds/Lululablette
Summary: I just wanted write what could've been Natasha's POV from the soul stone.A good song that helped me find the name for this fic: Golden Brown by the stranglers. Recommend to listen to it so that you can cry even more.





	Never a frown

**Author's Note:**

> I have not proof read this i'm just dropping this here bc i need to. Sorry if this is kinda wonky haha

When Natasha awakes, the first thought crossing her mind is how bad her head hurts. She's laying down, and everything is wet and damp. Sitting up, she notices that there is water all around her, extending to the horizon with nothing else in view. The light is odd, red and orange, and the air is cold. So cold. She shivers.

 

‘Did it work?’ she thinks. And she passes her hand where her head hurts and sure enough, there is blood on her hand. She closes her eyes.

 

Somewhere in the distance she hears a quiet sob, and a splash of water. ‘Clint’ she stumbles in the water as she gets up, the weight of her drenched clothes holding her down.

 

“Clint!” she calls out to him. No answer. She start running. But nothing changes around her, nothing moves. She cries Clint's name again. And again. 

 

The only sound coming to her ears is the one of her tears hitting the still surface of the water.

 

\--

 

She had sat down. Who knew the after life could be so boring. She expected hell and fire, eternal torture for all the crimes she commited. Well apparently, this is what purgatory looks like: nothing.

 

She stopped bleeding a few hours ago. Or maybe minutes. She doesn't know. Like a teenager she kept playing around with her weapons, quickly shifting through one to another.

 

Something hurts in her chest suddenly, and there is a flash of yellow light.

 

Someone entered this place. Who?

 

She turns around, looking in every direction. She finally spots the massive silhouette, and it seems miles and miles away from her.

 

It's Bruce. He's looking for her as well.

 

“Bruce!” Natasha is quick to jump on her feet, even if the water seems to want to keep her in place. Bruce is also walking toward her, holding his right arm, in pain.

 

They meet, both out of breath, and Bruce is about to cry. He can handle the pain, but Natasha is here… He can bring her back, finally.

 

“What happened?” she spy asks to the green giant. She definitely noticed the huge burns all over Banner's right arm and neck. “Are… Are you dead?” She asks that with uncertainty, and fear.

 

The scientist shakes his head “I don't know… But we did it… We got all the stones, we saved the earth.”

 

Natasha smiles, and Bruce does too. Bruce gives Natasha his left hand, but she doesn't take it. She keeps smiling and maybe tears are rolling down her cheeks again.

 

“I can't.” She shakes her head “It's part of the deal. I can't come back.”

 

Bruce pleads, falling to his knees “Natasha, please, you can't leave us… You can't leave me.. Clint…”

 

“I'm sorry…” the red head finally takes Bruce’s hand, and closes the space between them, wrapping her free arm around him. “I'm sorry… you have to go now.”

 

But they stay like this for a few moments. And once again, Natasha has no idea for how long. Eventually she's the one that breaks the embrace, but still holding hands together.

 

“Thank you Bruce. Thanks for everything. I'm glad i could see you again.” and her movements are precises and fast when she leans down to kiss right next to Bruce's mouth. Not directly on it, but not on the cheek either.

 

Bruce closes his eyes and he tries to keep a firm grip on her hand, but when the huge flash of yellow light hits them both again, Natasha is still here, and Bruce is gone.

 

Her legs give up and she falls back into the water. Of course she knows about Bruce's feelings toward her, of course she feels sorry that she doesn't reciprocate those the same way he does. She silently apologize for him, because somehow she feels like she betrayed him.

 

She passed out short after. Apparently you can still be tired even when you're dead. Opening her eyes in the clear water, her instinct tells her she's drowning. But she's not. Water did get in her nose and lungs but it's not painful, it’s not hard to breathe. Is she even breathing?

 

Still got a lot to learn from this place and her knew form.

 

She lays back down, staring at what seems to be a crescent moon shining the realm in those strange red hues. They did it. She feels at peace. It doesn't matter to her if she has to spend the rest of eternity alone in this place, it doesn't matter if they can't bring her back. But she subconsciously hope that they will find a way. Someday maybe. Maybe Tony will get a midnight revelation, and will bring her back. Maybe.

 

Maybe not.

 

Another flash of light, her head snaps up again. The air is tense this time. And she draws her weapon. Thanos?

 

The red and gold armor shines bright in the light. Natasha's heart drop and she's right away at Tony's sides helping him stand up.

 

“Funny how I was just thinking about you” she says, trying to release the tension. The man chuckles “I am married now Nat.”

 

Even with her strength, she struggle to keep him and his armor up, and he falls down.

Natasha obviously notices the same burns on Tony's body, but this time, creeping up to his face. The armor had melted and frozen back to his skin making him unable to move his right arm.

 

“What happened?” she asks again. Tony struggles to find his words. How to explain everything that happened. So much had happened.

 

“We just won.” he says, trying to give her a smirk.

 

She purses her lips, and close her eyes. “To you. What happened to you. I thought Bruce was the one that brought everyone back… Why are you here?”

 

Tony looks her dead in the eyes, and he shakes his head “We only had one chance. I had to do it.”

 

Silence. The same feeling rises up in her chest and she looks up to see the flash of light coming down toward them.

 

“Wait for me, will you?” And Tony is gone.

 

She's sitting up on her heels, and looking in the distance, trying to gather her thoughts, trying to understand what could’ve happened.

 

The air is still cold. And suddenly there is a warm hand on her shoulder.

 

She whips back, her weapons ready to be used.

 

Tony is smiling back at her “Why do you always feel the need to attack me like that?”

 

Something that Natasha hates, is when she is confused. And she is very confused. She looks at Tony with piercing eyes, and assault him with questions “ Why are you here. What happened. Are the others okay. Is Thanos back.”

 

Tony quickly hugs her, shutting her up. Tony’s armor is cold but somehow warmer than the air itself, and she finds comfort in that. All those years of training, keeping her calm and staying silent even in the most difficult situation. She seems to forget that. Because she's scared. Because he shouldn't be here. Because they won and the only dead person here would be herself. And she’s crying. She's confused and doesn't know what was going on outside, and suddenly Tony is here as well, telling her that they won and that it's all okay.

 

Is it?

 

“Please answer me”

 

Tony sighs “Get up. Let's walk for a bit. I'll explain everything.”

 

And she does. And they start walking. Close to each other. At some point they both stop.

 

Tony's armor disappears toward the reactor on his chest. Natasha stares as he rips the reactor away, dropping it in the water.

 

“Won't need that anytime soon.” He shrugs. He nods toward her. She nods back.

 

She drops her weapons and fighting gears next to the still glowing blue reactor.

 

“Now about what happened” They start walking again, Tony using grand gestures to emphasize the story, Natasha listening closely, smiling from time to time. Eyes going a bit wide when Tony tells her that Steve wielded Mjöllnir.

 

They keep walking. None of them turns back, none of them wants to. They played their parts. Everything is going to be fine. They believe that. 

 

The Ark reactor's glows fades more and more and the weapons rusts in the water, as the two lonely souls walk further away.

**Author's Note:**

> Golden brown finer temptress  
> Through the ages she's heading west  
> From far away  
> Stays for a day  
> Never a frown with golden brown


End file.
